Browsing by Author "Gebresenbet, Girma"

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    Characterization of municipal waste in Kampala, Uganda
    (2014-02-18) Komakech, Allan J.; Banadda, Noble E.; Kinobe, Joel R.; Kasisira, Levi; Sundberg, Cecilia; Gebresenbet, Girma; Vinnerås, Bjorn
    In Kampala, Uganda, about 28,000 tons of waste is collected and delivered to a landfill every month. Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) records show that this represents approximately 40% of the waste generated in the city. The remaining uncollected waste is normally dumped in unauthorized sites, causing health and environmental problems. However, the organic fraction of domestic waste can provide an opportunity to improve livelihoods and incomes through fertilizer and energy production. This study characterized the municipal waste generated in Kampala and delivered to Kiteezi landfill between July 2011 and June 2012, that is, covering the dry and wet months. On each sampling day, waste was randomly selected from five trucks, sorted and weighed into different physical fractions. Samples of the organic waste from each truck were analyzed for total solids, major nutrients, and energy content. During the wet months, the waste consisted of 88.5% organics, 3.8% soft plastics, 2.8% hard plastics, 2.2% paper, 0.9% glass, 0.7% textiles and leather, 0.2% metals, and 1.0% others. During the dry months, the waste consisted of 94.8% organics, 2.4% soft plastics, 1.0% hard plastics, 0.7% papers, 0.3% glass, 0.3% textile and leather, 0.1% metals, and 0.3% others. The organic waste on average had a moisture content of 71.1% and contained 1.89% nitrogen, 0.27% phosphorus, and 1.95% potassium. The waste had an average gross energy content of 17.3 MJ/kg. It was concluded that the organic waste generated can be a suitable source of some plant nutrients that are useful especially in urban agriculture. Implications: The result of the waste characterization in Kampala was found to be significantly different from that obtained for other Sub-Saharan African (SSA) cities, showing that studies assuming average values for the waste fractions are likely to result in erroneous results. Furthermore, no reduction in organic fraction of the waste was noticed when compared with a study done two decades ago in spite of greatly improved economic status of Kampala city, a finding that is not in agreement with several other similar studies done for other SSA cities.
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    Mapping out the solid waste generation and collection models: The case of Kampala City
    (2015-01-21) Kinobe, Joel R.; Niwagaba, Charles B.; Gebresenbet, Girma; Komakech, Allan J.; Vinnerås, Björn
    This paper presents a mapping of the waste collection systems in Kampala city, using geographical information system (GIS) ArcGIS mapping software. It discusses the existing models of waste collection to the final disposal destinations. It was found that food and yard wastes constitute 92.7% of the waste generated in Kampala. Recyclables and other special wastes constitute only 7.3% of the total waste, mainly because of the increased level of reuse and recycling activities. The generation rate of solid wastes was on average, 582, 169, 105, and 90 tons/day from poor areas, upscale wealthier areas, business centers, and market areas respectively. This tonnage of waste was collected, transported, and disposed of at the city landfill. The study found that in total, residential areas of poor people generate more waste than other categories stated earlier, mainly because of their large populations. In total, there were 133 unofficial temporary storage sites acknowledged by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) but not formally designated, 59 illegal dump sites, and 35 officially recognized temporary waste storage locations. This paper presents large-scale data that can help with understanding the collection models and their influence on solid waste management in Kampala city, which could be used for similar cities in developing countries.
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    Mapping out the solid waste generation and collection models: The case of Kampala City
    (Taylor and Francis, 2015) Kinobe, Joel R.; Niwagaba, Charles B.; Gebresenbet, Girma; Komakech, Allan J.; Vinnerås, Björn
    This is a technical paper presenting the mapping of the waste collection systems in Kampala city, using geographical information system (GIS) ArcGIS mapping software. It discusses the existing models of waste collection to the final disposal destinations. It was found that food and yard wastes constitute 92.7% of the waste generated in Kampala. Recyclables and other special wastes constitute only 7.3% of the total waste, mainly because of the increased level of reuse and recycling activities. The generation rate of solid wastes was on average, 582, 169, 105, and 90 tons/day from poor areas, upscale wealthier areas, business centers, and market areas respectively. This tonnage of waste was collected, transported, and disposed of at the city landfill. The study found that in total, residential areas of poor people generate more waste than other categories stated earlier, mainly because of their large populations. In total, there were 133 unofficial temporary storage sites acknowledged by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) but not formally designated, 59 illegal dump sites, and 35 officially recognized temporary waste storage locations. This paper presents large-scale data that can help with understanding the collection models and their influence on solid waste management in Kampala city, which could be used for similar cities in developing countries.
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    Optimization of waste collection and disposal in Kampala city
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2015) Kinobe, Joel R.; Niwagaba, Charles B.; Gebresenbet, Girma; Bosona, T.; Vinnerås, Björn
    Waste collection and transportation is an important municipal service that involves high expenditures if not handled efficiently. This has hindered waste management in many Sub-Saharan African countries. In this study, Geographic Information System (GIS) tools were used to optimize travel distances, trips and collection time, which leads to maximizing total waste collection, yielding large savings and keeping the environment clean. The study suggested the best waste collection routes, and determined a suitable vehicle fleet and capacity to be used by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), which is the body responsible for waste management in Kampala. The use of the GIS tools led to the reduction in the total number of trips and travel distances, which decreased fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. In addition, the model can be used by the various outsourced private operators, collecting and disposing of solid wastes. Since the current municipal landfill for Kampala city is almost full, the GIS tool was used to identify the optimum location of a new proposed landfill site, based on optimized travel distances. The results of this study can help KCCA to decrease costs of managing wastes and environmental as well as social impacts
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    Reverse Logistics Related to Waste Management with Emphasis on Developing Countries—A Review Paper
    (2012-09-20) Kinobe, Joel R.; Gebresenbet, Girma; Vinnerås, Björn
    This paper provides an overview of the state of art of reverse logistics and current status of waste management problems with special emphasis on developing countries. Logistics activities have been practiced and played a fundamental role in the global economic development for over 5,000 years. It has then been transformed into different logistics branches and elaborates the emergency of reverse logistics as one of the most important. The paper presents the evolution of logistics into reverse logistics and how it relates to waste management both in the developed and developing world. Reverse logistics is a relatively new phenomenon in the research area which is mainly referring to damaged goods, the take back of products that should be returned to the manufacturers or distributors. Reverse logistics is relatively more practiced in an organized way in the developed world than in the developing countries in that the latter provided less value additions on reversed products.
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    Reverse logistics system and recycling potential at a landfill: A case study from Kampala City
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2015) Kinobe, Joel R.; Niwagaba, Charles B.; Gebresenbet, Girma; Vinnerås, Björn
    The rapid growing population and high urbanisation rates in Sub-Saharan Africa has caused enormous pressure on collection services of the generated waste in the urban areas. This has put a burden on land- filling, which is the major waste disposal method. Waste reduction, re-use and recycling opportunities exist but are not fully utilized. The common items that are re-used and re-cycled are plastics, paper, alu- minum, glass, steel, cardboard, and yard waste. This paper develops an overview of reverse logistics at Kiteezi landfill, the only officially recognised waste disposal facility for Kampala City. The paper analyses, in details the collection, re-processing, re-distribution and final markets of these products into a reversed supply chain network. Only 14% of the products at Kiteezi landfill are channeled into the reverse chain while 63% could be included in the distribution chain but are left out and disposed of while the remaining 23% is buried. This is because of the low processing power available, lack of market value, lack of knowl- edge and limited value addition activities to the products. This paper proposes possible strategies of effi- cient and effective reverse logistics development, applicable to Kampala City and other similar cities.